This is the story of most of the world.Migration and slavery produces intermingling with human beings.. This is the outcome. My mother’s ancestry is of Germany ancestry from St.Elizabeth. You will see a lot of fair ruddy skin tone,blonde to light brown,hazel,blue,green Jamaicans that certainly are from German,Scottish, Irish ancestry. I would love to find out my mom’s family history too and my Dad.She has passes on,her siblings before her.So very difficult and I live in U.S.But,maybe someday I will know more. Good to know your past to understand you.

I really enjoyed the video. My mother was from Seaford Town. She said a placed called Lamb’s River. She was of Irish decent mixed.I can’t ask her anything because she passed away 2006. I would like to know if you can make a video about the Irish connection? Thanks for making the video.

I am based in the UK. I cannot watch this on line using the Amazon.com link as when I tried it said that my debit or credit card must be linked to an American bank. May i suggest you also sell this documentary on iTunes, too, so that it can enjoy a worldwide audience?

Just found out now at 29 years old that my Great Grandfather…Hubert Hacker a German man Started my family in Seaford Town JA…. And i am the 4th generation in the Hacker Blood Line….But as i am 1 out of 13 of my Dads kids i am the only one of my Brothers and Sisters that has a Different Mother and born in America and not really knowing my Family History….and now as i search i fee so Proud of where i cam from….Oh how God is Good

Hi Jacqueline, can you tell me the last names of your German ancestors?? I also have german ancestors and a huge family tree that carries some of the name for Seaford Town. maybe we couldstart there. if you are inthe US you can call me at 3053106371
Regards,
Delvon.

The sad story of rural development in Jamaica. Nothing continues to improve in most rural areas, so decay sets in. I know the area very well because I was born in Ginger Hill, St Elizabeth and grew up in Catadupa St James and also have relatives from Seaforth Town. In the sixties the German population was vibrant in Seaforth Town and things were looking good. Surprisingly this area was the seat that P J Patterson held for many years and look at it now. Without proper rural development the history of many areas and its people will be left on the dump heap of time.

My mother is from Seaford town and I still have close family who I visit. My last one was in 2013. Her family is the ‘Kameka’ family, her father, Oswaldo Kameka her mother Rose, Mama Rose’.
Most of my uncles moved to Canada, some Aunts but some remained to this day in Seaford. I would love to see the documentary to see if they are featured.
I remember visiting in the 80′s when the German heritage was visible. A lot of white faces. This has changed over the years with most of the young moving to the larger cities.
I urge all of you, with links to Seaford town to visit now, before it changes too much, especially the church and school. Speak to the elders left who have an astounding recollection of their lineage.
Thanks for doing this documentary.
By the way, some of my relatives traced and have been in touch with Kamekas in Germany.
Sharon

Hi Sharon, I am guessing you are related to my Mom, who’s father was a Kameka. No sure if you saw my post but when my sister did a DNA test it came back Great Britain not German, which completely surprised us. I would love to be able to find out more about the relatives in Germany to understand why they left Germany to go to Jamaica. I know they were promised land, etc. but they had such a rough start. And, it interested me why more followed when some of the original people died trying to live there. I loved having my Grandma Ruthie with a Jamaican accent and telling us all the culture, food and sayings that came from Jamaica. Eating plantains and avocados when no one else was!! She left Jamaica to live in the Bronx but also lived in Sarnia, Canada for a while near her brother Franz. I met Uncle Franz and Aunt Myrtle on a visit there. My aunt keeps in touch with his children. Grandma Ruthie died in NY, where she lived with us for a while. She had a good long life. Grandma’s siblings were Reginald, Harry, Franz, Basil, Levi, Enid, and Evadney. Who my Mom said they called, Aunt Eva. My Aunt Gloria Price from Sarnia, did a family tree so we can go back as far as my Mom’s great, great grandparents Justine Ryman and her husband, no first name listed, also a Ryman (Rheimann) who seemed to be the last generation born in Germany who traveled to Jamaica. I also have their children’s names. It is so unique and fascinating, our history. Can’t wait to show my Mom the DVD to see if she recognizes anyone but she was a child when she went. I have some nice photos of the family on a porch in Seafordtown. Thank you David for this for a documentary of my Mother’s life growing up with a Jamaican mother and bringing all this to light again, for me and my family.

My mother was born in Bethel Town Westmoreland and her fathers name was Sidney Kamaka . He was of German descent but as you can see the spelling of his name is not Kameka. I also know someone from that area and their relatives spell their name Kamicka. Which one is the correct spelling?

Just watched the full film my daughter ordered it for Christmas. My dad was one of the many that left in 50′s. He ended up marring a Canadian. Many of my relatives are in still in the Sarnia area. Recognized a few people and places in the film. I would love to go back and learn more history of the family.

My family on my father and mother s side settled in Jamaica in the early 1800s . My father’s family settled in Seaford Town,Westmoreland and my mothers family settled in Armadale, St Ann’s. Our family name on my father’s side was Kleinhans but was changed to Clenance. My mothers name was Dietrich or Dedrick. After slavery was abolished in 183? The English talked Germans from the Elba River Valley to work the land for five years and they would have title to the land. It took 15 years before they received title. Half of them died the first two years from starvation and tropical disease. My parents met in Cuba and married there. They had two babies that died and they decided to move to New York where they had four children. They settled in the south Bronx. My godmother was a Groskoph and my godfather was a Brown. The Kamachas and Somers were all related to the Groskophs and Browns from Seaford Town.

My Mother in law, Myrtle Fredrika Kameka was born in Seafordtiwn. She had no memory of family, but I’ve been able to find things through the years. Don’t have it nearby, but her Father was Frederick Kameka and her Mother was Alice Gardener (?) unsure of the spelling. With out going to look, I have lots of information, but can’t get to it right at this moment. One of her brothers stayed in Seafordtow, but has died. I would be willing to share information with others.

I am descended from Seaford Town, family names Sanftleben (Harold, my maternal grandfather) and Barrett (Iris, maternal grandmother). My mother, Madge, left Seaford Town maybe around 1953 for Toronto, Canada where she still resides.

I was the priest in Seaford Town in the 1990s. I spent many nights going through church records at the request of people with German heritage from Seaford Town who were searching for their roots. It was a great thrill when I made the relevant connection. When I didn’t it posed a greater challenge to go on. It is a beautiful place with great friendly people.
Best wishes to all.
Bobby Gilmore
18/5/17

Just ordered this DVD to share with family. My maternal grandmother, Ethel Groskopf was born in Seaford Town and emigrated to USA (NYC)in 1920′s. I recognized a photo on the wall in a scene of the trailer that looks like my grandmother’s parents Clarissa (Gardner) and Samuel Groskopf. I knew many of the cousins who also emigrated–many were “supers” of buildings as way of getting started. Not a lot of education was available in Seaford Town–only through the 4th grade and for many of the Groskopf boys, work on the farm took them out of the classroom even then. It was a hard life, 3 to a bed! During my Grandmother’s growing up, a Priest came one week, and a Presbyterian Pastor the next. Clarissa was Presbyterian and many people then went to both services. I’m excited to see this DVD!

My grandmother was Ruth Chami (Bunnaman). She was born in Seafordtown. She died 3 days short of her 106 birthday here in NY. My mother and aunts visited twice as children. My mother, Dorothy Guglielmo (Chami) is still alive at 93. Grandma Ruth’s father was James Louis Kameka. I found out his brothers were Adolphas,George and Harry Kameka and a sister was Edith Kameka. I know we have a great Uncle Franz who lived in Ontario Canada where his chidlren still live. My grandmother’s mother was Ann Elizabeth Bunnaman. I knew somewhat of their story of leaving Germany to go to Jamaica but recently family members had DNA done and no German genes showed up. This confused us greatly. I wondered where they lived in Germany before leaving. My mothers great grandparents paternally were Louisa Ryman (Rheimann) and Herman Kameka and maternally Frederick Bunnaman and Elizabeth Ryman. Any info would be appreciated. I am thinking of visiting Seafordtown. I purchased the DVD and enjoyed seeing my mother’s distant relatives.

Some of the people in Seaford Town were from Germany but ethnically Polish. Other families married into British and Irish families over the years and in more recent years Asian and African descended Jamaican families. – David Ritter